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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24417664">The Curse of the Jade Diamond</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentDeathblade/pseuds/AgentDeathblade'>AgentDeathblade</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Lupin III</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:20:34</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,362</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24417664</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/AgentDeathblade/pseuds/AgentDeathblade</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After taking part in a hypnosis act during a magic show, Lupin starts committing various robberies throughout the city, but claims he doesn't remember taking part in the crimes. Has the thief really been hypnotized or does he simply believe he is?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Arsène Lupin &amp; Jigen Daisuke &amp; Ishikawa Goemon XIII &amp; Mine Fujiko, Arsène Lupin III &amp; Mine Fujiko, Basically just the Lupin Gang friendship, Ishikawa Goemon XIII &amp; Arsène Lupin III, Jigen Daisuke &amp; Arsène Lupin III</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. The Magic Show</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is an idea that's been in my head for some time, so...I hope it's good! :)</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>It's Lupin’s birthday, so the gang decides to take him to a magic show. It’s not his kind of thing. He’d rather be at a bar somewhere getting drunk, but getting drunk during a magic show is good too--at least he’s not paying. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Why’d you guys take me here, anyway?” Lupin takes a sip of his whiskey. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Just wanted to do something different, I guess.” Fujiko replies, engrossed by the magician in front of them.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Every time we celebrate each other’s birthdays, all we do is get drunk at a bar then go to </span>
  <em>
    <span>another </span>
  </em>
  <span>bar and do the exact same thing.” Goemon says, </span>
  <em>
    <span>also </span>
  </em>
  <span>fascinated by the magician. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“As long as we have alcohol, I’m okay with this.” Jigen’s about to take out a cigarette but sees a 'no smoking' sign and begrudgingly puts the cigarette pack back in his jacket pocket. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m with you, Jigen.” Lupin finishes his glass of whiskey and orders another glass. “Besides, magic is a bunch of phooey. We do illusions like those </span>
  <em>
    <span>all</span>
  </em>
  <span> the time during our heists.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now I, Zontag the Great, will perform my last trick: a hypnosis trick. But please, I’ll need a volunteer.” Zontag the magician looks at the crowd for volunteers. “How about you, sir? The one with the blue jacket and red tie.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lupin looks at the crowd. He’s the only one wearing a blue jacket and red tie. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“No, thanks. I’ll pass.” He said to the magician.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Aw, come on, Lupin. Be a sport and just do it.” Fujiko starts nudging Lupin.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, Lupin! Go for it!” Jigen slams the bottle of beer to the table and starts to nudge Lupin as well.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Not you too, Jigen.” He can’t believe his friends are turning on him like this.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It would be amusing to see you take part in this magic trick.” Goemon smiles at him</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Et tu, Goemon?” Lupin says sadly. “Fine. I’ll do it.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lupin climbs on stage much to the excitement of his friends. They even start yelling and cheering for him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I shall hypnotize you with this,” Zontag takes out a jade diamond on a metal chain and holds it in front of Lupin. The thief is </span>
  <em>
    <span>captivated </span>
  </em>
  <span>by the diamond. It looks like a real gem and not some shoddy rip-off diamond one would find elsewhere. He quickly starts planning a heist in his head for that jade diamond. “Now, I’m sorry, what’s your name?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lupin breaks out of his trance. “Oh. Um...Arsene.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Now, Arsene. Look at this diamond and just let your mind relax.” The magician starts swinging the diamond of Lupin and his eyes start to follow it around, surprisingly lulling him to a hypnotic state. “Listen to my voice and </span>
  <em>
    <span>only </span>
  </em>
  <span>my voice. When I say ‘Constantinople’, you will do as I say. Do you understand?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lupin nods. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Constantinople.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lupin is completely in a trance. The gang is pleasantly surprised that Lupin is being a good sport and is playing along. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Arsene, you look like a monkey, go act like one.” Zontag tells Lupin. Lupin follows what he’s told much to the amusement of everyone in the gang, especially Fujiko, who decides to record this in case she needs it for blackmailing purposes later on. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That’s enough monkey business, Arsene.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lupin stops acting like a monkey and stands still again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Arsene, get your drink and throw it in on the ground.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“What an odd request.” Goemon says. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jigen walks up to the stage and hands Lupin his glass of whiskey. He doesn’t even hesitate for one bit and throws the entire glass on the ground.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Excellent! Now, Arsene, at the count of three, you will wake up from this trance and you will forget everything that happened while you were in this state. One...two...three.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>And just like that, Lupin is out of his trances, his face clearly confused at what just happened. He walks down from the stage and towards his table. Zontag takes a bow while the crowd applauds him.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“That was some sportsmanship you showed there, Lupin.” Goemon pats his friend at the back.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Yeah…” Lupin is still quite dazed from the hypnotism. He reaches for his glass but it’s not on the table. “Where’d my drink go?!” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You threw it on stage.” Fujiko said, pointing at the broken glass on the stage. “You don’t remember?”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Lupin shakes his head. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You don’t have to play with us anymore, man. You’re a great actor </span>
  <em>
    <span>and </span>
  </em>
  <span>a good sport.” Jigen takes the last sip of his beer and stands up. “Now come on, let’s get out of here.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>The others follow Jigen while Lupin is trailing behind them, still very confused over the magic trick. He doesn’t believe in hypnosis, so it shouldn’t have worked on him and yet, </span>
  <em>
    <span>it did. </span>
  </em>
  <span>He thinks this over on their way back to the hideout. Is magic real or is the trick more science based? Did the jade diamond have anything to do with it or is it just for show? These questions keep on circling around his head, never seeming to leave his thoughts. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The gang finally make it back to their hideout and Lupin enters first and walks straight for his room.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I’m tired. I’m going to bed early.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Already? But it’s only 11pm.” Jigen says looking at the time.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I said I’m tired. Goodnight.” Lupin slams the door and lies on his bed. The thoughts of suddenly being hypnotized pop in his head again. He tries to drown the thoughts out with memories of past adventures, but no matter how hard he tries to drown the intruding thoughts out, they seem to come back. He eventually gets tired from all the thinking and falls asleep. </span>
</p>
<hr/><p>
  <span>At around 3am, Lupin’s cell phone rings. He drowsily answers his phone, but before he could even get a word in, a strange but familiar voice speaks at the other end.</span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“Constantinople.” </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>The thief snaps back into the hypnotic state he was at a few hours ago. </span>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>“I want you to break into Marie Corleone’s mansion and steal me her finest jewels…”</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <span>After a few minutes on the phone with Zontag, Lupin does what he’s ordered. He gets dressed and drives to the Corleone mansion for an impromptu heist without telling anybody. And then Lupin’s mind just...</span>
  <b>
    <em>blacks out.</em>
  </b>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. The Second Heist</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lupin wakes up the next morning on his bed wearing his street clothes. He exits the room and enters the living room where the gang is waiting for him. </p><p>“What’s all this?” Again, Lupin is <em> pretty confused.  </em></p><p>“Don’t act all innocent.” Fujiko gives Lupin her phone. The phone is on a news site and the page is detailing the robbery at the Corleone mansion. </p><p>“The news said that billionaire Marie Corleone has been robbed last night and the thief’s M.O perfectly fits yours, Lupin.” The samurai says. </p><p>Lupin reads the article and he’s surprised that the thief’s M.O is exactly what he’d do. “I didn’t do this.” He hands Fujiko’s phone back to her. “I did what I said and went to sleep after entering my room. Honest.”</p><p>“Cut the crap, man!” Jigen yells at him. “You went on a heist without us and didn’t even bother sharing the jewels!”</p><p>“If I pulled that heist off, where did all the items go, huh?” Lupin answers back. “Look around the place.” </p><p>“Can we enter your room?” Goemon asks.</p><p>“With pleasure.” Lupin leads them to his room and the gang looks around for any sign of the stolen jewels. “See? If I stole from Corleone, why don’t I have any of her stuff?” </p><p>Jigen finds an item he knows that definitely doesn’t belong to his friend and holds it up. “Then why do you have Corleone’s beloved gold necklace in your drawer?”</p><p>Lupin freaks out at the sight of the necklace. He knows for a fact he didn’t steal from anyone last night and yet, a piece of evidence of the crime is in his room. He’s speechless and tries to think of words to save face.</p><p>“You caught me.” Lupin dramatically sighs. “The Corleone heist was some sort of a birthday heist to me, from me.” He grabs the necklace from Jigen and gives it to Fujiko. “And this necklace is for you, my dear Fuji-cakes.” </p><p>Fujiko blushes and happily accepts the necklace. Jigen and Goemon groan in disgust and walk out of their friend’s room. At least the truth is out. Or is it? The day goes by fast and eventually, midnight strikes. Fujiko retires for the day and Goemon enters his room to meditate before going to sleep. Lupin and Jigen opt to finish the movie that’s on TV.</p><p>Towards the end of the movie, Lupin receives a call. He grabs his phone and steps out of the living room so Jigen won’t be disturbed.</p><p>“Hello?”</p><p>
  <em> “Constantinople.”  </em>
</p><p>Lupin freezes at the sound of the voice. Everything comes back to him. He knows what he’s going through is ridiculous. He knows hypnotism doesn’t work and he didn’t let himself get hypnotized willingly. He’s very much aware of what’s happening to him, yet he can’t do anything about it. He wants to scream for someone to help him, but nothing’s coming out of his mouth. All he can do is stand there and wait for the magician to give him orders. </p><p>
  <em> “Inside Henry Lasswell’s penthouse is a rare painting of Van Gogh’s Poppy Flowers. He won it in an auction last August. Think you can steal that for me?” </em>
</p><p>“Yes.”</p><p>
  <em> “Very well. I’ll see you at the warehouse afterwards.”  </em>
</p><p>Lupin enters the living room again, walking as if he were a zombie.</p><p>“Hey, who called?”</p><p>No response.</p><p>“Lupin?” </p><p>But still no response. Lupin walks past Jigen and heads to the front door. Jigen gets suspicious and follows his friend. The thief walks to the Fiat and starts the car. He seems like he’s in his own little world and doesn’t seem to notice his friend. Jigen sees this as an opportunity and sneaks into the backseat of the car. Where could his friend be going this late at night? </p><hr/><p>After an hour or so of driving, Lupin parks in front of a building and exits the car. Jigen debates with himself whether he should follow Lupin or not. He does the former. He gets out of the car too and follows his friend, albeit with a good distance between them. This shadowing is very short lived, since Lupin enters an elevator and Jigen has no choice but to enter it with him. Lupin doesn’t seem to notice the gunman is beside him, though. </p><p>“Lupin?” Jigen waves his hand in front of his friend. “Hello? Earth to Lupin.” </p><p>No response from him. The thief is intently focused on tinkering on a keyhole in the elevator.</p><p>Jigen doesn’t know what to do about Lupin and is slightly freaking out. The elevator stops at a floor and the doors open to a penthouse suite. Lupin exits the elevator and Jigen is back to shadowing him. Jigen hides behind a nearby couch and watches whatever Lupin’s going to do next. Lupin starts wandering the penthouse looking for the painting. </p><p><em> Is he seriously doing another heist without us? </em>Jigen thinks to himself. </p><p>After a few minutes of wandering for Lupin, he finally finds the painting the magician told him about. He successfully gets it with no alarms raised and triggered. Jigen is surprised that he’s impressed with him. Lupin may not be acting like himself, but his thieving skills never left him. It’s basically second nature to him at this point.</p><p>Lupin sneaks out of the penthouse and back into the elevator with Jigen following him.</p><p>“So...is this painting also a birthday gift from you, to you?” Jigen asks, hoping Lupin would reply to him. But there was no answer. It was just dead silence between the two friends.</p><p>The elevator doors open and the two sneak out back to their car. Seeing as Lupin doesn’t seem to even notice that Jigen’s there, Jigen takes the passenger seat and even helps Lupin place the painting in the backseat. Lupin starts the car up but drives the opposite direction of their hideout. </p><p>“What the hell?! Where are we going?!”</p><p>Again, no response.</p><p>“Okay, this is seriously freaking me out. Just say <em> something. Anything </em>would do at this point.”</p><p>Lupin just...continues driving. Jigen continues to yell at Lupin during the drive, hoping he’d reply, but alas, everything he said fell on deaf ears. The car stops in front of an abandoned warehouse and the thief gets out and gets the painting and brings it to the warehouse. </p><p><em> “Must be where he’s hiding stuff from us.” </em>Jigen says to himself. He peeks at a window and is surprised at what he sees. The magician from the magic show is in the building with Lupin and is currently discussing something with the thief. Jigen can’t quite make out what he’s saying to his friend. He wants to bust in there and demand what’s Zontag, if that even is his real name, discussing with Lupin, but he decides to lay low just for now. </p><p>After waiting what seems to be forever, Lupin finally exits the warehouse empty-handed and walks back to the Fiat. Jigen quickly enters the car since his friend seems to be oblivious to his surroundings and might accidentally leave him behind. </p><p>The next morning, Lupin wakes up in his bed with no memory of the night before.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Revelations</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Lupin walks out of his room and heads to the kitchen for some breakfast. He sees Jigen who’s very jittery from his fifth cup of coffee that morning.</p><p>“Something wrong, Jigen?” Lupin gets a glass of water and hands it over to Jigen, but he doesn’t accept it.</p><p>“What the hell, man?!” He yells at Lupin.</p><p>Jigen yelling at him that early in the morning threw him off guard. “<em> You </em> what the hell?! No, <em> me </em>what the hell! Did I do something wrong to you?!” He yells back.</p><p>“You don’t remember what happened last night?” </p><p>“I remember we were watching a movie and...that’s all.”</p><p>“Oh, bullshit.” </p><p>“What do you mean?!”</p><p>“You don’t remember stealing a painting from Henry Lasswell last night?”</p><p>Lupin is just bewildered at what Jigen yelled at him.</p><p>“Why would I be stealing a <em> painting </em> from a politician instead of, say, <em> money </em>?”</p><p>“I don’t know, but I saw it happen with my own two eyes!” </p><p>“You have eyes?” Lupin giggles at his own joke. </p><p>“This isn’t funny, Lupin!” Jigen finishes his cup of coffee and slams it on the table. “And why are you in cahoots with that magician guy, anyway?!”</p><p>Lupin stops cold in his tracks. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“That magician we saw two nights ago. You brought that painting to him.” </p><p>This is <em> huge </em>news to Lupin and he sits down beside Jigen to process those two sentences and puts the pieces of the puzzle together.</p><p>“Okay, I know this sounds crazy, but you gotta believe me.” Lupin sighs, takes a deep breath, and continues talking, “I think I’m being hypnotized by that guy and he’s ordering me to steal for him.”</p><p>A moment of silence happens as Jigen now also has to process what Lupin’s just told him. It kind of makes sense to him given that his friend acted like the zombie the entire night and was unaware that he was with him the entire heist. </p><p>“This silence is freaking me out, Jigen.” Lupin yells, breaking the quietness.</p><p>“That’s exactly how I felt last night!” The gunman replies back. “I tried calling your attention several times, but you seemed...not there.”</p><p>“So, you believe me, then?”</p><p>“Definitely.”</p><p>“What do we do now?” Lupin slumps in his chair in defeat. Jigen also doesn’t know what to do and looks defeated as well. His friend is at the mercy of some evil magician and there’s nothing he can do about it, at least for the meantime.</p><p>“Morning!” Fujiko enters the kitchen to two sad looking men. “What happened?”</p><p>“Tell her, Lupin. I need a moment to take this information in.”</p><p>Lupin sighs and looks at Fujiko. “Remember that magician we saw? He <em> still </em>has me under hypnosis and made me steal stuff for him.”</p><p>Fujiko gasps. “That means…”</p><p>“I wasn’t behind the Corleone heist. And I definitely wasn’t behind the Lasswell heist last night too.”</p><p>“You went out again last night?”</p><p>“Yup.” Jigen answers her. “And stole a friggin’ painting for friggin’ Zontag. I was there witnessing the entire thing.”</p><p>“Now we don’t know what to do.” Lupin sadly says.</p><p>Goemon enters the room, only to be greeted by now <em> three </em>people who look upset. He looks at the scene happening and speaks up. “Did I miss something?”</p><p>“Lupin’s still under the magician’s spell.” Jigen replies.</p><p>Goemon surprisingly takes this information in well compared to them.</p><p>“Yeah, and we don’t know what to do about it. Any suggestions?” Lupin looks at Goemon hoping for <em> something.  </em></p><p>“Have you tried breaking the trance <em> while </em>you’re under it?” The samurai suggests.</p><p>The gang look at each other in a moment of consideration and decide to try that.</p><p>“Do any of you remember the action word? I sure as hell don’t.” Lupin says.</p><p>“It was Constantinople. I have that entire act recorded.” Fujiko replies, but as soon as she said Constantinople, Lupin fell under another trance. His friends all marvel at this and decide to test it out first.</p><p>“Hey, Lupin, go get me my smokes.” Jigen tells him.</p><p>Lupin gets up from his seat and starts to look for a pack of cigarettes for Jigen. After a minute or so, Lupin comes back with the pack and hands them to the gunman.</p><p>“Son of a bitch. He really is hypnotized.” Jigen says, lighting up a cigarette.</p><p>“Lupin, please get me a glass of water.” Fujiko asks and Lupin, of course, follows what he’s asked.</p><p>Goemon gets serious and starts to address their hypnotized friend. “Lupin, you will now snap out of this trance forever.” </p><p>The gang waits to see what happens next, but...nothing happens. They all sigh and think of another way. </p><p>“What if there’s another word that undoes the trance?” Fujiko suggests.</p><p>“It's possible.” Goemon considers it and looks at Lupin. “Lupin, you can sit down first.” </p><p>Lupin follows what he’s told.</p><p>“Yeah, but we don’t have the entire friggin’ day to go through a dictionary saying out random words.” Jigen says in frustration, but gives in. “Let’s try it, anyway.”</p><p>Fujiko gets a dictionary <em> and </em>a thesaurus and the gang starts to say random words in hopes their friend can be put out of his trance for good. </p><hr/><p>The day quickly turns into night and the gang is still in the <em>E </em>section of the dictionary.</p><p>“This is impossible!” Fujiko crosses her arms in frustration. “We’ve been here the <em> entire </em>day and we’ve barely made it halfway through.”</p><p>“And Zontag is probably going to call Lupin again to steal something for him tonight.” Goemon reminds them. </p><p>“Hey Lupin,” Jigen addresses his friend. “If we can’t break the spell any time soon, just know that we love ya, okay? And we tried our best.” The gunman pats Lupin at the back.</p><p>Fujiko and Goemon look surprised at Jigen.</p><p>“That was...surprisingly out of character.” Fujiko says. </p><p>“What?!” Jigen replies, defensively. “Can’t a man say to his friend that he loves and respects the hell out of him?! Besides...he won’t remember this.”</p><p>Fujiko giggles and adds onto Jigen’s sudden admiration and love for Lupin. “Yes, Lupin, we love you lots!” She hugs the <em> still </em>hypnotized thief. </p><p>Goemon decides to join in. “Yes, I also respect you. An inordinate amount, in fact.”</p><p>“Wow. Look who learned something from the dictionary!” Jigen says, teasing the samurai for knowing a <em> big </em>word.</p><p>“It is impossible for me to have gotten that word from the dictionary since we stopped at the letter <em> E </em>.” Goemon replies back. </p><p>In the midst of all this teasing, Lupin slowly snaps out of his trance and sees Jigen playfully ragging at Goemon. </p><p>“Hey guys, what’d I miss?” Lupin asks, looking dazed and confused since his head was figuratively gone for the entire day.</p>
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